Please help me get this running

[PalapaJoe]

I've been away from video games and computers for around 15 years now and I just want to get this game running again. My laptop is new but every time I attempt to load the game I get to the launch screen. It attempts to load and I see that it wants to load and even shows some of the full screen and then it just crashes. I feel tech illiterate at this point and not sure where to even start as I know the pc/game/tech world has moved well beyond my understanding. I just want to play this game again.

[Siddham]

Hello
Are you using the Steam version?

Try this
Go to the game directory and find the file
Startup.ini

Open it with Notebook
and change the playmovie line from 1 to 0

thus...
playmovie 0

This will disable the opening movie which I think wants an old player to run
Anyway try it and lets know

[PalapaJoe]

You beautiful bastard, I could kiss you!! That worked, I can't believe it was so simple, I should have considered something like that. Now I'll spend my next night away from kids figuring out how to install the Distant Worlds Universe Refreshed Mod working as I really would like to try a playthrough with gravity wells.

Yes Steam is what I'm playing on.

Edit: if you happen to know of a video that could walk a dinosaur like me through the entire install process that would be truly wonderful as I seem to be getting myself tripped up on Expanded and Refreshed and which one has the gravity wells and which doesn't. I don't quite understand what I need to unblock in the zip file. My own current attempt to download it from github didn't seem to work at all. If not that is okay too as just being able to play the base game again is a treasure.

***I would also be open to the idea of getting on discord and screen sharing so someone could explain it like I'm a literal infant if that is what it takes.

[eddieballgame]

Try this; https://steamcommunity.com/app/261470/d ... 275980857/

[Siddham]

Hey Joe!


I use the NTCore 4GB Patch - Google it to find it
(patches 32-bit (x86) executable files so they can use up to 4GB of virtual memory instead of the standard 2GB limit on 64-bit (x64) Windows)

These are the mods I like to use...

Das Chrome UI (Blue) if playing vanilla

Extended AI Improvement Mod 1.05
(includes Das Chrome UI Mod... the AI mod... and Harees Extended Universe Mod)
This is my main go-to mod
This one sharpens the UI & the AI empires performance & adds a load of immersive alien species & empires

Sea of Stars Private Ship Symbols
https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 0#p3922730
(replaces the larger default symbols on the map... tidier)

I also replace some of the sound files
I dislike some of the default buttons & alarms
And I found a reduced star sounds - the default are too loud imo
The sounds are wav files... so they are easy to edit or replace
If you hear things you dont like you can change them
There are a few mods with edited files so use google gemini to help find them for you

Hope that helps a bit